Consultancy title: Child Poverty Analysis Consultant, Part-time (4 months), Home-based, MENA Regional Office

Under the overall supervision of the UNICEF Regional Advisor on Monitoring Child Rights (in coordination with the Regional Advisor Social Policy), the ‘Child Poverty Analysis’ Consultant will conduct analysis of child multidimensional poverty (based on the MODA approach, adapted to the MENA region) to contribute to the update of the Arab Poverty Report and will produce a set of simulations on the evolution of potential impact of COVID-19 on child multidimensional poverty.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, commitment.

Consultancy title: Child Poverty Analysis Consultant

Duration: 4 months (Part time)

1 July 2021 – 30 October 2021 (50 days)

Duty Station: Home based/Remote support 

Under the overall supervision of the UNICEF Regional Advisor on Monitoring Child Rights (in coordination with the Regional Advisor Social Policy), the ‘Child Poverty Analysis’ Consultant will conduct analysis of child multidimensional poverty (based on the MODA approach, adapted to the MENA region) to contribute to the  update of the Arab Poverty Report and will produce a set of simulations on the evolution of potential impact of COVID-19 on child multidimensional poverty.

How can you make a difference?

In 2018, UNICEF, ESCWA and the League of Arab States released the 1st Arab Poverty Report[1], the first of its kind following the launch of the 2030 Agenda, as a contribution to monitoring the progress towards the SDG 1.2.2, and to mobilize national commitment for reducing poverty of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions. This report includes a section on Child Multidimensional Poverty in Arab countries, whose preparation was led by UNICEF MENARO in cooperation with the UNICEF Office of Research. The study covered 11 Arab countries with available survey microdata for the period 2010-2015, and found that around 44 percent of the child population was living in multidimensional poverty, being deprived in more than one essential dimension of wellbeing.

In Spring 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic started to unfold in region, UNICEF MENARO commissioned a rapid simulation study to estimate the potential impacts of the pandemic on child multidimensional poverty. The simulations were based on experts’ assumptions on how the economic crisis generated by the COVID pandemic and the lockdown measures put in place by Governments to limit the spread of the pandemic, could be transmitted to child wellbeing outcomes in the domains of access to health and education services, nutrition, access to water, sanitation, etc.  The results of the simulation – used in regional UNICEF advocacy and reporting – suggest that in the short term the share of children living in multidimensional poverty could have grown by almost 9 percentage points, due to the COVID-19 crisis.

After more than one year from the onset of the crisis, Governments in the region eased most of the lockdown and restriction policies and some signs of economic recovery are visible in some countries, but the socio-economic consequences of the pandemic are still deeply felt by the societies. Direct evidence on the how the impact on children of COVID-19 is evolving, is not yet available, and simulations remain an effective tool to make visible the risks that children are facing to be left behind in the phase of economic recovery.

UNICEF, LAS, UNESCWA and UNDP are planning to update the Arab Poverty report with the analysis of the household surveys which have been completed recently and not yet analyzed,  and to include in the report a framework and analysis on how the COVID-19 could have changed multidimensional poverty in the region.

Objective

Under the overall supervision of the UNICEF Regional Advisor on Monitoring Child Rights (in cooperation with the Regional Advisor on Social Policy and the regional Monitoring and Research specialist), the Consultant has the responsibility of:

• Performing Child Multidimensional Poverty analysis based on MODA approach adopted for the 2018 Arab Poverty Studies for 4 countries with datasets released in 2020 or not yet analyzed by UNICEF (Algeria, Egypt, Mauritania, Palestine), in order to update the child component of the Arab Poverty Report
• Prepare a methodology for the simulation of impact of COVID-19 on child multidimensional poverty after 15-18 months from the onset of the crisis, and apply for the 10 countries included in the Arab Poverty study

Main tasks

1. Review the MODA methodology used for the child poverty analysis included in the 2018 Arab Poverty Report, produced by UNICEF, ESCWA and LAS; and the methodology used in 2020 to simulate the impact of COVID-19 on child multidimensional poverty (to be provided by UNICEF MENARO, along with all the datasets and analysis scripts in Stata/SPSS)
2. Perform the Arab region’s MODA analysis on 4 newly released datasets (Algeria MICS 2019, Egypt 2019-20 HEICS, Mauritania MICS 2015, Palestine MICS 2019-20)
3. Produce tabulations with the results of the MODA analysis for these 4 countries, following the example of the tables and figures produced for the 2018 Arab Poverty Report. Include country level estimates (disaggregated by residence, education of head of the household, wealth quintile), regional cluster level estimates, regional estimates of deprivation in each dimension, overlapping deprivations, and child multidimensional poverty.
4. Prepare a methodology for the simulation of the impact of the COVID-19 on child multidimensional poverty after 15-18 months from the onset of the crisis, by reviewing relevant literature and evidence coming from other sources (UNICEF to provide relevant evidence from internal monitoring mechanisms). Contribute to the presentation and the review of the assumptions with UNICEF staff and UN partners.
5. Prepare a detailed note on the simulation methodology and on the country-level and regional level assumptions adopted.
6. Apply the simulation methodology to 10 available datasets (Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, Tunisia, Yemen). Prepare country, cluster and regional level estimates on the potential impact of COVID on dimension-level deprivation and multidimensional poverty.
7. Produce two final notes summarizing the results of the analysis, which will contribute to the Regional reports.
8. Prepare a presentation with the results of the analysis.

Key deliverables

1. An inception note, with an analysis plan, work plan and timeline of deliverables
2. A note and tables in excel with the results of the MODA analysis for 4 countries, with new dataset, not previously analyzed using the Arab region’s MODA approach + syntaxes used for the analysis
3. A methodological note on the simulation of the impact of COVID-19 after 15-18 months from the onset of the crisis, with details on the country level and regional level assumptions.
4. A note and tables in excel with the results of the MODA simulations for 10 Arab countries included in the analysis.
5. Presentation with the results of the MODA analysis and the simulation analysis.
6. Supervision and cooperation with other consultants
7. The UNICEF Regional Advisor on Monitoring Child Rights will provide quality assurance and oversight for the consultant’s work with substantial feedback on the quality of the work. 

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Consultancy Requirements:

• Possess a Master’s degree in Economics, Demography, Statistics, Social Policy, or other related technical field with significant measurement, analysis or quantitative research background is required.
• Solid/documented experience in child multidimensional poverty analysis, using MICS, DHS and similar data sources
• Experience with SPSS, Stata
• Experience in producing simulation and modeling studies in social sciences
• Fluency in English

Desirable: Experience of analytical work related to the MENA region and Familiarity with UNICEF’s mission and mandate

Applicants are also required to indicate availability and financial quotation in USD to undertake the terms of reference above.

TRAVEL CONSIDERATIONS:

No travel is required, it will be a home-based consultancy.

Payment Schedule:

PROPOSED PAYMENT SCHEDULE:  Payments to be paid upon submission of deliverables, according to the schedule indicated above.

UNICEF will pay a lump sum payment monthly, based on submitted progress reports.  Workplan will be discussed and agreed upon with supervisor at the beginning of each month.

Qualified candidates are requested to submit:

1. Cover letter, succinctly elaborating on the candidate relevant experience on poverty analysis and simulation analysis
2. CV or P-11
3. Financial quote as a lump sum, inclusive of professional fees, travel/administrative/subsistence costs, if applicable
4. Names of three referees

Incomplete submissions will not be considered.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People, and Drive for Results.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children.

Remarks:

UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.